Sturgis advertiser. (Sturgis, Dakota [S.D.]) 1887-1???, 1887-12-28
THE DAKOTA DEyIL.TIsH,
Or the Octopus Of the Black Hills.
The Indian Reservation and colone1(2)
John q. king.

The Indian Reservation and colone1t2)
| John q. king.
When the opening OF the reservation
twas first talked over, prior to the meet
ing Of the present congress, Rapid City
business men concluded that it would be
a good idea to send a delegate to Wash
ington to present the claims of the Black
Hills country properly to the committee
on Indian affairs, and act in CONJUNCTION
with Senator Dawes in laboring for the
passage of his bill After deliberate ac-
ton and careful study they selected aCol-
onel' John FL. King, Of their city, as dele
gate to go to the national capital and work
for the best interests of all concerned.
Mr.. King after due preparation, started
on his journey and Immediately on his
arrival set to work. Now tho Rapid folks
are weeping over his operations and claim
he is doing more damage than good
Their reasons for thinking SO are, that as
soon as he arrived he opposed the Dawes
bill and Joined Senator Jones of Arkan-
sas, in preparing bill entirely different
from that of the Massachusetts senator,
one that comes in direct conflict with the
Indian treaties now existing, and conse-
quently cannot legally be passed
and made a law, and the chances are
that owing to this conflict, no bill will
be passed at this session Of congress.
Notwithstanding this, Colonel( p King
still continues his war against Senator
Dawes and his bill. The Rapid City peo-
pie have tried hard to call him off, but
lie won't come, and now. they are groan-.
ing and growing about him. Why they
should growl and wall now, is utterly
impossible to see. They have no one to
blame but themselves They were sure
" well acquaintedwith the man they Sc
lected to represent them,--if not, they
lack that perspicuity with which we have
credited then, deserve the fate,
that at present, seems absolutely unavoid-
able. What has this man ssColoneP King
{ Heaven only knows by what right he
wears his title, J ever done that should
entitle him to the honor of going. to
Washington to further the interests
of the people of the Black Hills? Has
he ever been connected with anything
that turned out successfully unless per-
chance, successful to himself? Every
thing he has ever mixed in has turned
out complete and fat failure for every
body but himself, and he always has
contrived to turn the langh Of the public
against himself, until now, the name of
King always provokes a jeering laugh
from those who live in the Hills and
know the pedigree Of the animal. He is
too well known in this part of the coun-
try to be selected BY anyone to represent
them anywhere. In western parlance,
everybody is ION to- him. He is man
of no influence; would-be leader with
no following; a man whose mountainous,
adamantine cheek and limitless gall
would make the proverbial brass monkey
turn green with envy. With his scanty
blonde locks neatly combed; his beard
closely trimmed; his immaculate attire,
his smile, $50 ehild1ike and bland" his
suave manners and polite address COM
hined with the natural gall of the man,
make him all the more dangerous, as he
can make stranger believe with very
little difficulty, that he is the great AM
of the Black Hills instead of the great
Dakota What-is-it.. However, the Rapid
people can console themselves with the
fact that if the Black Hills colonel y
remains week or two longer in Wash
ington, the nations law makers will be-
como as thoroughly acquainted with him
as. are the Inhabitants of this section,
and after they once do, Kings influence
and presence will amount to about as
much as the presence of an ordinary Jer-
sey mosquito on the hide Of an African
elephant. He cannot be called home, as
he could not be pulled away with a
Cotton locomotive, so great is his tenac-
ity. The only thing that remains to be
done is to let the committee on Indian
affairs know who aad what kind of a man
they are dealing with and curtail his in
fiuence as much as possible. II this Is
not done and done quickly, good bye to
an open reservation for another two years.
Rapid City business men have made their
own bed, and although it affects the bus
mess interests of the whole Hills, they
must lie in il, and not kick at the ineyita-
bio as brought about through their own
error and thoughtlcssness
The long lookod-for statement FROM
the Iron Fill mining company has at
last appeared, and taking everything